TUAW Tip: Put your hard disk in your Dock

Quicksilver is almost as easy to implement as this tip, offers improved functionality for browsing folders versus an HD in the dock, and an almost unfathomable amount of extra capabilities - there's a reason we all evangelize about it.

This is weird - it won't work for me. I can't drag any folders or the hard disk to the dock and get them to stay there. I can drag applications and documents. What am I doing wrong?

I don't think putting the HD in the dock is a good idea for new or casual users. I don't want those people anywhere near their Library and System foders. Applications folder in the dock: definitely. Then depending on how the person works I put the Desktop folder there and maybe Documents as well.

It is better to *not* do this. To keep your system clean, easy-to-migrate, consistent among admins and non-admins, etc., you should use your Mac the new Unix way, not the old Mac way: STAY OUT OF THE HARD DRIVE! You've got a home folder, use it. A Mac hard drive ships with 4 folders: Applications, Library, System, and Users. Apps you need, so drag that into your Dock--that's the first thing I always do. Library and System--no reason to be in there, with rare exception. Users--you can only get into two folders here anyway--your own, and Shared. Lots of ways to access your home folder--Command-N in the finder, for one, if you set it that way--so I don't waste Dock space on that, but that's just me.

Keep your hard drive clean! Live in your home folder!

An extension of this tip addresses a lot of the, albeit minor, complaints folks have had.

Create a folder, anywhere, then create aliases to the apps and files you use most and put them in there. You can even create subfolders (if you're a complete neat freak, like me) for grouping certain apps/docs/whatever - then simply drop this in the dock.

You can even give it a groovy icon, we are all style-centric after all... :o)

Helpful post, but like Peter said, if you have a lot of apps that you don't use on a regular basis it gets to be a bit unwieldy.

New Hint: Much like the old OS9 Apple menu trick (or Windows' Start Menu) create a folder called 'My Applications' wherever it makes sense. In that folder place aliases of your most oft-used applications. THEN drop this folder on your Dock. You'll find it pops up a lot faster than your complete Applications folder.

I tried your trick and now I have the same question as Josh: what the hell are "mach" and "mach.sym" doing there? Does it mean the dock is showing hidden files?

You can also right-click [or ctrl-click] to get the menu to pop up faster. I use it all the time!

I do this and have even used it on occasion. For the applications folder trick to be of any use, you either need to have a fast processor or a small Applications folder. If, like me, you're both running a mini and are addicted to downloading freeware, it's not such a good idea. ;-)

In any case, count me among the number who use Quicksilver almost exclusively for launching apps and opening and moving files. Mice are so 80s.

I look forward to future installments.

Personally, I prefer to have my Home folder instead of the HD. It contains a lot more of the files that I use on a regular basis. The main reason I ever use the HD is to access my Applications and I have that sitting right next to my Home.

This is just my personal taste, but it is grood (great AND good) to see the dock getting some love!

=aron=